The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-10

Il n
MARIE FRANCOIS sADl tAENOf.
olas Marguerite Carnot, statesman,
patriot and tactician Of the first reyOlu
ton and first republic He was born
May ~. 1853, at NOlay. in Burgundy-a
department in which the blood of the
original 1eutOnic Burguudians still pre-
walls, and where, consequently, there Is
rather more political steadiness than
among the Franks, the Gauls or the VIOLA
tile Proyencals. The first CarnOt was
notably precocous. When only ~ he
completed n military education, and was
made second lieutenant of engineers; at
20 he was first lieutenant and at 30 a cap
tain. and there lac fingered for years.
The ruling classes in France had re-
duced the common people tO such state
Of misery that exhausted nature could
bear no more, ana riots and instructions
began; the government responded with
bsutai tyranny, alresting and imprisoning
without process Of law. Among the vic
TINS was Garnet. who was confined IN the
Bastile for no greater Oflense than writing
an essay which criticised the organization
Of the army lie also published a scicn-
thc work on the waste of power in ma
chimes, which was highly praised 10y scien
thc men I'm 1857 the financial condition
Of the country became so bad that King
Louis XVI convened the assembly Of the
nOtables which was followed soon by the
meeting of the states general, par
lament somewhat ON the plan Of the
middle ages. which had not been con
yened for 1ij years, and by the &C
ton Of this body the revolution fairly
began in 1883 The next general body
was the constituent assembly, and af
ter the destruction of the old regime
came the legislative assembly. Of which
Capt Garnet was a member representing
Pas dc Calais. As member of the com
mittee on military affairs ne reorganized
the militia. as we should call II,
and, for want of muskets, he pro
cured an act that the Paris sec
tons should be armed with pixies.
They used these pixies ia the assault on
the royal residence the Tulleries Aug.
. 1192. for matters were moving too fast
for conservative rsfOrpors, and soon the
liberal monarch and moderate republic
were alike overth-Own, and the national
convention was hurried forward 10 the de
struction of the royal family and the
slaughter OF the rOyalsts CarnOt VOte1
for the execution of the king, but eX-
pressed his deep sorrow for its necessity.
In August, 1893, nc was put at the head
of the military administration in the com
mittec Of public safety and soon thereafter
the whole face of affairs was changed.
So successful was he as an organizer
that he soon lad fourteen armies large
and small, equipped; the reactOnists were
completely subduod and foreign armies
driven from French soil In 1896 he
planned and provided material for the
campaign m Italy, which was so wonder
fully carried ont by BOnaparte; but when
the latter seized the reins Of power, Car
not opposed him and went into exile.
With only short intervals he remained
abroad till 1914, then wrote TO Bonaparte
GAS long as You were prosperous l staid
away-now that misfortune has come,
place myself at your disposal" The
emperor promoted him through all the
grades from major 10 general. and he
fought bravely tin the last hope was gone
The returned BOurbons drove him into
exile and he died at Madgeburg, Aug =,
1923.
His son, Lazare Hippolite Carnot, was
born April 6, 1901. lie, too, was "A re
publican, but not so conservative as his
father, maintaining az different times
socialism and similar theories To him
we are indebted for the clearest exposition
of the doctrines Of st Simon, the father
OF modern socialism. After trying
variety OF ayocatiOns he became more con
servatiyc in middle life, and supported the
government OF Louis Philippe with con
n. 81.
driven away by the revolution of 1S4c, Car
not was made minister OF public instruc-
ton and effected valuable reforms. He re-
sisted Louis Napoleon and went into exile,
but some years later decided that the
empire was a well established government,
returned and once more took Office, living
10 see the empire again overthrow and
the third grand republic set mp.
Marie Francois Sadi CarnOt owes his
compound name 10 the comical fact that
his somewhat visionary father was deep in
Oriental and mystical studies at the time
Of his birth, Aug. IL, 1851 About that
time began the rage for inquiry into the
religion and philosophy of the Arabs and
Hindoos, which has lately become a sort
Of fad" The father was an 'Occultist'
Of that day-an Orientalist-hence the
''s;adi" which the son has hyphenated
with the houored family name. The son
however, has proved more practical
man ne T. rich and successful, but bilious
and melancholy. a graduate Of the noted
Polytechnique, he rose rapidly through
all the ranks Of government engineering
and later made success as minister Of
public works and minister Of finance His
wife, brilliant and witty woman, Is q
daughter Of the late Dupont White.
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